The process of publishing a book can be a long one with many steps. The author, of course, has to present a clean, completed manuscript to a publisher. It has to be well-written and interesting and something the publisher is prepared to spend money on. Once that is agreed to, there is the contract, the editing, revisions, more revisions and finally a manuscript that is ready to see print. Or is it? The publisher then lays out the book and then… well then the laid out book is sent to the author (and other proof-readers) for final review as a galley. That is where I’m at right now. This minute, in fact. My publisher, Lorina, sent me my galley on […]
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Tunnel Vision
There are times when multi-tasking just isn’t the right answer. A perfect example of this is my revision work on Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero. I have several projects on the go; some are writing and some are editing. And then there is Mik which is forthcoming (arguably editing, but a whole lot more, too). I want Mik Murdoch to be the best it can be. I want to justify all of the work my publisher and editor are putting into the book too. Therefore, when it came time to make the suggested revisions, I put all of my other projects away, rather than try to do bits of several everyday. It was really the only way I could get into […]
Read moreWriting Advice
For those of you who have read my blog posts in the past, you will probably notice that I rarely, if ever, give writing advice. There are a few reasons for this: the way I write and what works for me may not work for you (the actual action of writing); I know what looks right on the page. I have a pretty decent grasp of grammar and language, however, I am NOT a grammatician nor am I a professor of English to speak as an authority on sentence structure; I am not an expert on the reader’s marketplace. I have a good understanding of what is selling now (easily enough found) and I have some opinions on what might sell down-the-road, but […]
Read moreBeat but not Beaten
I have this tendency to overcommitt myself. Now, if I didn’t care about actually fulfilling my commitments, it wouldn’t be much of a problem. That is not the case, however. When I say I’m going to do something, I do it and try to do it well. That in itself is not a character flaw (as far as I know), but it does tend to wear me down over time. Take Scouts, for example. I love being a Scout leader, but about this time every year I start to get cranky. The craziness of the troop and the lost days and nights every month make me wonder if I really want to do it again next year and please, please, […]
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